| Gundagai, New South Wales |
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| towns in new south wales | |
| towns in the riverina | |
Gundagai is a town of 8,500 and Local Government Area located on the Murrumbidgee River 390 Km south-west of Sydney , New South Wales , Australia . HISTORY The area was the traditional home to the Wiradjuri Aboriginal People before Europe an settlement. It is believed the name "Gundagai" derives from the Wiradjuri word ''gundabandoobingee'', which some have thought to mean 'cut with a hand-axe behind the knee'. Australian-born explorer Hamilton Hume and British immigrant William Hovell were the first Europeans to visit when they passed through Gundagai in 1824 , and Charles Sturt made an appearance in 1829 at the start of his voyage to the mouth of the Murray River . The original 1838 town was hit by several Flood s of the Murrumbidgee river. The June 25 , 1852 flood swept the town away, killing at least 78 people, perhaps 89 of the town's population of 250 people, and in the process becoming one of the largest natural Disasters In Australia's History . An even higher flood in 1853 caused the town to be redeveloped in its current site on the hill, Mount Parnassus, above the river. A Gold Rush hit the area in 1858 following the discovery of Gold and Mining continued initially until 1875 and following a second gold rush in 1894 , mines operated again until 1905 . BRIDGES OF GUNDAGAI In a second ( Railway ) bridge was built, with a total length of 819 metres. In 1977 the Sheahan bridge was opened, a Concrete and Steel bridge on the Hume Highway , at 1143 m the second longest bridge in Australia after the Sydney Harbour Bridge . It replaced the Prince Alfred bridge as the crossing of the Murrumbidgee river. The bridge was named after William Francis Sheahan (Billy Sheahan) (1895- ), who was a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly for Yass from 1941-1950 and for Burrinjuck from 1950-1973 and held variousl ministerial portfolios. {Link without Title} GUNDAGAI IN LITERATURE at Snake Gully, five miles from Gundagai. The statue was unveiled by the then Prime-minister Joseph Lyons in 1932 as a tribute to pioneers.]] The gold mining made the town prosperous, a centre for Bushranger s, and gave the town a romantic bush appeal that resulted in Gundagai becoming a byword for Outback town in Australia. Evidence of this can be seen via the number of stories, songs and poems that reference Gundagai. These include the Jack O'Hagan composed songs ''Where the Dog Sits on the Tuckerbox (five miles from Gundagai)'', ''Along the Road to Gundagai'' and ''When a Boy from Alabama Meets a Girl from Gundagai'', as well as Banjo Patterson 's ''The Road to Gundagai'' and the traditional ballad ''Flash Jack from Gundagai''. Additionally, the town is mentioned in Henry Lawson 's ''Scots of the Riverina '' and C.J. Dennis' ''The Traveller''. ECONOMY Beyond romantic bush appeal, the historic bridges and the associated Tourism , Gundagai's economy remains driven by Sheep and Cattle , as well as Wheat , Lucerne and Maize production. SEE ALSO EXTERNAL LINKS |
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